


Nowhere

by sceawere



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: F/M, Nurses & Nursing, War, World War I
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-07 18:33:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15913908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sceawere/pseuds/sceawere
Summary: Written as a request for Tommy and an American nurse during the war.-“A Tommy called Tommy” she spluttered a laugh, her whole body getting involved as it caught up to her. She worked at shedding her apron, stained and ripped at the edges. She seemed to delight in throwing it into the mud, no hope of saving it.





	1. Chapter 1

Tommy was maybe 10 paces away when a nurse came barrelling out of the clearing station and threw up into the treeline. He tucked the cigarette he was about to light back into his pocket and stepped off the makeshift path of wheel tracks and flattened mud.

“You alright?” he asked.

She answered with another retch, hands bearing into the nearest tree to steady herself. He sighed, pulling the cig back out and lighting it.

“Bad day?”

He heard her scoff, lifting his head from the match, throwing it away to land in a puddle that was speckling with the first fall of rain.

“Just performed my first amputation. All by my lonesome. We ran out of pain relief three hours ago so it was really…quite something” she breathed out, an accent her wasn't expecting just tinging the words.

She had lifted her head, only to tuck it in the forearm that was butting out of the tree, taking another moment to gain her bearings.

“But then, I don’t need to explain to you what they look like coming back from out there, do I?” she added.

She swallowed, dropping her arm, eyes pressed firmly shut. Tommy stepped forward and she must have heard the crunch of the gravel, making her shake her head.

“No, I’m fine-“she held a hand out, palm presented as she took another breath “I’m…fine”

“Maybe you should sit down” he suggested, balancing the smoke between his lips.

She laughed, turning to a sob, shaking her head.

“Shouldn’t I be the one giving out medical advice?”

She turned her head to him as she spoke, the ghost of a sardonic smile on her face. Her eyes trailed over his face and she blinked, straightening. She stepped forward a few paces before her shoulder dropped against a fresh tree, away from the mess she'd made.

“What’s your name?” she nodded up to him, eyes tracing his uniform.

“Tommy”

“A Tommy called Tommy” she spluttered a laugh, her whole body getting involved as it caught up to her. She worked at shedding her apron, stained and ripped at the edges. She seemed to delight in throwing it into the mud, no hope of saving it.

Tommy nodded, looking to the side with a smile, before turning back. He shrugged off his jacket and stepped to her. She froze when he draped it over her shoulders, tracing up his arm and back to his face.

“They catch you out of uniform-“

“You can tell them I’m delirious” he pulled his eyebrows together, still balancing the cig between his lips even as he smirked at her.

She smiled at him, a slow one that took a while to stretch out fully and meet her eyes.

“If we’re going for the old ‘paradoxical undressing’ routine, you should probably take off another layer or two” she joked.

He grinned back at her, leaning against the tree next to her. She crossed her arms, snuggling into the jacket. He offered the cig to her but she shook her head. He went to move it back to his mouth when she threw her hand up.

“Actually, yeah, go on. Good a time as any to start” she said, brow drawn.

The smoke came out in puffs as he laughed, passing it back and tilting his head to her, a half nod.

She took it with still shaking fingers, shooting an apprehensive look his way.

“If Matron catches me-“

“I’ll tell them you’re delirious”

She laughed, taking a slightly longer drag than she probably should have. She shook her head, scrunching her features, and he laughed again. More in five minutes than in the last five months. He pulled it back off her and blew the smoke away from her, out into the dimming light. It was dry here, under the trees, the canopy shading them.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

She blew the last of the smoke up into the sky, moving her eyes across the clouds, tracking their span across the sky.

“Don’t laugh” she sniffed, and slapped his arm when he did. “I haven’t even told you yet!”

“Sorry” he cleared his throat and stood a little straighter, not quite to attention, looking down at her only half seriously “go on”

Her smile pulled up further into her cheek and he noted the freckles that curled up into her hairline as she looked away and back. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

“Minerva” she sighed.

He frowned and dropped back to the tree.

“That’s not bad” he argued.

“Ugh, where were you when I was in school? What were you expecting?”

“I thought you were going to say ‘what a coincidence, my name’s Tommy too’” he flicked his eyes up, taking another drag. She had a brow lifted at him, her sarcastic look back.

“My dad’s a history professor. He had to name me after something long dead” she explained.

“Where?”

“Washington…the state, not-” she corrected, and he nodded, blowing out another cloud of hazed smoke.

“I guessed”

She shrugged, looking back out into the night. He traced his eyes over her profile, noticing the flecks of blood she’d missed. Some of the freckles he’d noted weren’t freckles after all. The laughter was gone from both of them as the time stretched on, the cig burning down closer and closer to his knuckles.

“Far from home, Minerva”

She stared off into the distance, eyes glazing over.

“All of us are, Tommy”


	2. Chapter 2

“You get your ass handed to you?” Minerva blew the smoke away, handing what was left to Tommy.

They were sat back into the forest, just a few paces. Enough to be hidden from the road but not enough that they couldn’t be safe in the hospital within a few seconds – as safe as they could be in the field of tents and ramshackle structures.

Tommy lay back against the tree, watching the carts and wagons judder pass ahead, boots peeking out as they went.

“No, I make sure to come early anyway. Running made up the time. You didn’t make me late” he explained, and she rolled her neck.

“We can’t keep sneaking off to the woods every time you come to deliver a report. As much as you brighten my day, Mr Shelby”

She shuffled on the root she was sat on, knees pulled up close.

“I can hear him screaming at people sometimes, even halfway across the field. Seems like a thoroughly charming gentleman, your boss” she continued, with a flare of her eyes.

“He’s in charge of a lot of dying men. You don’t get to be charming” he deadpanned, and she smirked.

“You do alright” she replied, quickly.

He rolled his eyes over to her, noting her smile as she dropped her head to rest on her folded arms. His lip quirked as he took the last drag. He flicked the stub away, sitting up. He hooked his arms over his leg and nodded down, shutting the sight of the field out for a few seconds. She let him have a moment before she spoke.

“It’s not fair, you running go-between” she argued.

“It’s my job”

“What? Getting the flack for shit you had no hand in? You don’t call the shots, Tommy. It’s not fair you’re the one who has to deal with the consequences”

“Every man out there deals with the consequences” he replied in a low tone, and she groaned in response.

“God, I can’t stand when you’re all philosophical and gloomy. I come out here to get away from that shit, Tom” she wiped at her face with her cuff as she complained.

He shook his head at her, nodding up at the break in the trees.

“Matron’s patrolling”

“Ah, fuck” she threw herself up, dusting off her dress. She bent at the waist, gripping his chin in her palm. She dotted a kiss to his cheek and swung off, arm pointing back as she stumbled away.

“Don’t fucking die before I next see you!”


	3. Chapter 3

“Wykes!”

Minerva woke with a start, arms grabbing at her through the blanket she’d thrown over her head. She flung it back, straining against even the dim light of the dorm. She could hear the other girls’ names being shouted as the last shift went along, slamming their hands on the bunks as they travelled.

“Sarah, I’m off rotation until-“ she began arguing, her sleep filled voice like gravel.

“It’s not shift change, they’re manning up, come on, get lively” Sarah tapped the side of her bunk once more.

The sleep was beginning to clear and the realisation came to her as half dressed women started barrelling passed her to the hallway, pulling their dresses closed as they went.

“Shit” she swung her legs over the bed, grabbing at the makeshift drawer under her bunk. She yanked a clean dress out, throwing it around herself as quick as she could. She wiggled her legs as she stood, trying to get the blood flowing again.

“What happened?” she asked, fingers fumbling over each other.

Sarah, the girl who slept above her, was busy changing out her own dress for something a little less blood-stained. Her hair was frazzled, fluttering out of the bun she’d scraped it back in and Minerva pulled it clear and started fixing it as soon as her own dress was buttoned.

“Oh, thanks” she craned her neck to give her more access.

“What happened?” Minerva repeated, more insistent.

“Tunnel collapse, I think they said”

“Fuck, not again” Minerva sighed.

She yanked up her own hair, twirling it over itself and shoving it up.

“You should sleep, Sarah, you’re no good falling over” she nodded to the bunk, but Sarah shook her head.

“I’ve only done 10 hours, I’ll be fine. They need hands”

They went off together, feet barely in boots, towards the main grouping. The stretchers were being shuttled in and assigned spaces as they entered, and they separated with a pat and a plastered on smile.

“Wykes, I need you up here!”

She followed the nurses voice up to the far end, spinning the divider shut behind her. The thrashing man on the bed was covered in mud and soot, barely recognisable, as if someone had carved him from the ground.

“I need you to get him to calm down before I can assess him” the nurse ordered, struggling with the man.

“Minerva” a man called, foggy.

She frowned, pushing forward around the bed, making her way to the mouth that had uttered her name.

“Fucking hell, Tommy!”

She bent over the bed, wiping her hands over his cheeks, trying to clear the dirt away from his eyes.

“Tommy, Tommy, Tom-“ she repeated, trying to keep her tone soothing but desperate to catch his attention.

“Minerva” he flung his arm up to grab at hers.

“You need to lie- ssshhhh, you need to lie down. Alright? We can’t fix you up like this”

His other hand was gripping at the apron she’d hastily thrown over her head, not even tied yet. His grip left streaks down the crisp white fabric and stained her fingers as she tried to comb at his hair.

“SShhhh, lie back. Lie back” she coaxed, and he followed.

She managed to settle him down a little as the nurse checked him over, stroking at his hair with one hand while she passed over cloths and the like with the other.

“Check him on that side, I need to sort this” the nurse nodded over as she began to clean out a long scrape down his shin, blood seeping into the sheets and forming an island on the map of the bed that was otherwise covered with rubble.

Minerva started her overview, running through the steps in her head, muttering to herself. She threw her eyes up every few seconds, checking he was still conscious and holding it together. His eyes were wild, swinging around the ceiling and she swallowed the tears that were snaking up her throat.

“He’s got half the fucking tunnel beams splintered all over this side, I need to run for a kit” Minerva explained, stepping away.

The nurse’s hand flew out, as did Tommy’s, as she moved away, trapping her with the both of them.

“Don’t leave me with him” the woman whispered under her breath, Tommy’s grip painful at her other wrist. She sighed, turning her head to survey the room.

“Eh! Bristol!” Minerva hollered to a man hovering further down the line of beds.

The guard came over, barely making it to the bed before she was barking at him.

“Cabinet with the blue stripe, left side, third shelf down, second drawer from the left. I need a tin kit, green wrapper. Got it?” she ordered.

He nodded, running off for the supply room. She turned back to Tommy, throwing off the nurse’s grip, who went back to her work.

“I don’t care whether half the world fell on you, you grab me like that again, and I’ll knock you flat out” she warned.

He looked up at her as she bent over him, swallowing. A tear fell from his eye and streaked a clean line through the grime of his face. She licked her lips and flicked her eyes away, just a moment, just to compose herself.

“Someone told his brother he’s in here?” she asked the other nurse.

“How would I know?” the nurse’s head was bent over her work as she spoke.

“He’s over in Tent 5, someone should tell him” Minerva pushed.

“How’d you know that?” she frowned, eyes only flicking up momentarily.

“I’m the one who pulled the bullet that put him there out of him” she shrugged.

“No, that it was his brother?” the nurse clarified, and Minerva scoffed.

“Everyone knows the Shelby brothers” Minerva shot back, thumb rolling slowly over Tommy’s marred skin.

“Do they?” came the reply.

Minerva ran her tongue over her teeth, keeping her eyes firmly on the doorway that the guard should be appearing from. He was taking too long.

“He knew your name. He kept saying it, it’s why I called for you” the nurse continued, nodding towards where Tommy had closed his eyes, zoned out.

“Yeah”

The nurse flicked her eyes up as she tossed away a bloody cloth, reaching for the bandages as Minerva passed them over.

“You going to explain that?” she pushed, and Minerva swallowed.

“No” she shook her head, not moving her gaze.

The guard came out, trying to weave through the crowd of nurses and shuttlers. Someone screamed out passed a screen, the crash of metal as a basin was thrown under a bed, the rip of cloth as someone ran out of clean bandages to stem the flow of blood.

Once the kit was in hand she had something to focus on and everything else faded out, except for the burn of eyes on her as Tommy lay still, hand gripped into the side of her dress.


	4. Chapter 4

“What time do you think it is?” Minerva whispered as Sarah came stumbling over.

“It’s nearly 4, I checked on the way” she mumbled back, arms wrapped tight around her as a chill blew into the ward.

“You get some sleep?”

“Yeah, couple hours. You?”

“Couple hours” Minerva shuffled in the chair, adjusting her head where it lay perched on her fist.

“How is he?” Sarah questioned, flicking eyes over to the bay.

“Sleeping, thankfully”

They both looked over to the bed opposite to where the chairs were shoved against the wall. They were full of contorted nurses, sleeping however they could. The overflow lay curled around each other on the floor, snuggling into each other as much as they did the shitty blankets and towels tossed over them.

It was quiet in here, the opposite of the triage tent. The men who weren’t sleeping were at least pretending and there was only soft snores and whimpers punctuating the shots from out in the distant night.

As if on cue, she saw Tommy shuffle, gripping into the pillow. She nodded to Sarah to take her place as she lifted from the chair and tried to navigate the muddle of bodies before her. She swiped at her tired eyes as she pulled the screen back around them, encircling his little space.

“You were out for about 20 minutes there, a new record” she whispered, cocking a hip against the frame.

He sat up, straining against the pull of torn muscle and constricting bandages. She placed a hand on each side of his torso, framing him front and back, guiding his movement until he was settled back against the bed frame.

He was taking ragged breaths so she handed him some water, settling on the edge of the bed by his thigh.

“I dreamt of the fucking mud. Can’t get it out of my head” he breathed, and Minerva perched onto the edge.

“I personally helped flush about four buckets out of there so don’t give me that shit, soldier” she snarked, managing a tired smile.

He grimaced, trying to smile, but he just ended up sobbing. Minerva took the glass, dumping it on the cabinet. She pulled him to her, holding him close.

“You’re not going anywhere. You’re going nowhere tonight” she reassured.

“I can’t get the fucking mud out my fucking head” he repeated.

“Where are we?” she dropped her nose to his ear, nuzzling against his skull “Pick somewhere near the water”

He blew air into her shoulder, hand gripping onto the fabric by her spine. They’d been playing this game for weeks – shutting their eyes as they sat back to back in the forest, passing stubs over shoulders and dreaming of anywhere but where they were.

“It’s your turn” he reminded her.

“You’re the one who got brought in on a stretcher. I’ll give you a pass, just this once”

He didn’t reply and if he hadn’t have been gripping so hard she’d have thought he’d passed back out. His heart hammered against her chest, a drumbeat that reminded them both he was still here. Not buried in the mud.

“My turn then” she lifted her head, resting her temple against his crown “Lisbon”

“Why there?” he questioned, and she hummed.

“I remember my dad researching the earthquake for some lecture and he had these pictures of where they rebuilt this square. It goes right up to the water, it was beautiful” she explained, rubbing her cheek softly over his crown.

“Lisbon, then” he agreed.

She smiled, nuzzling back into the side of his head.

“We’re going nowhere tonight” she pressed a kiss to his skin “we’re right here, both of us. Nowhere else tonight”


	5. Chapter 5

He saw her peering out the window as the train slowed, passing just a little further than where he was stood. He waited for it stall before he strolled passed the clusters of people to the doorway she was set to come out of.

She stepped down with a flourish, lip bit at one side as she moved towards him. She was laughing when she swung her arms around his neck, suitcase crashed to the floor. He dropped her after a long hug, keeping his hands at either side of her waist, while he looked her over.

“Nurse Wykes” he nodded to her and she scrunched her face at his official tone.

“Sergeant Major Shelby, sir” she gave him a mock salute and he rolled his eyes at her.

“I preferred you when you were serious” he groaned.

“Oh, fuck that” she shot back, giggling and giddy.

“How was Canada?” he questioned, shoving a hand into his pocket.

“Delightful. You get my photos?”

“I did. So did Johnny…and Arthur” he nodded.

Her mouth froze half open.

“Not those ones” he assured.

She slapped the side of his head as he laughed, bending to pick the suitcase up. He turned to walk off the platform and he heard her heels clacking after him.

“You bastard!” she muttered through gritted teeth, throwing eyes to check no-one around them heard her on the busy platform.

“Depends who you speak to” Tommy shot back.

He couldn’t see her eye roll but he heard the release of air that came with it as he descended the stairs. He waited for her at the bottom, pinching a cig between his lips as he reached for his lighter. He pocketed it, passing it out to her but she walked straight passed him.

“I’ve given up, actually” she informed him, her tone airy, and teasing.

He raised his brows, meeting her pace.

“Canada was good for you” he posed, and she took a deep breath, holding it for just a moment longer than needed.

“I really thought you’d shown them the pictures” she replied, her face falling into a mix of concern and relief.

He shook his head, turning to her as they walked.

“Polly wanted to see the waterfall - but I kept the envelopes well away from each other, don’t worry” he soothed, letting her hook her arm through his.

“Sarah’s a good photographer”

“Yes, she is” he agreed.

They shared a look as they got into the car, laughing.

-

“Then I was visiting my grandmother, the one who lives in Boston-” she nodded to the door, as if it was just outside there, on the street.

“-But our Boston”

“-But your Boston”

They laughed as they spoke at the same time and she shook her head as he handed her the glass.

“You remembered” she replied, surprise in her tone.

“Oh, yes. I remembered”

She took a sip before looking up.

“So I figured it’s only a couple hours on the train from Lincolnshire - it was past time I took up your offer” she cleared her throat, getting comfortable on the bar stool “How have you been, Tommy? You write about what everyone else is up to but never you”

His smile fell and he tried to distract himself cleaning the bar off in front of them, shuffling things out of the way.

“Fine. How have you been, Minerva?”

“Fine” she agreed, eyes clearing prodding at him.

He nodded, leaning on the bar. The glass scraped as she pushed it to the side.

“Now we’re passed the bullshit – how have you been sleeping?” Minerva gave up on pretense.

She ran her tongue over her teeth, staring him down.

“Fine”

“Oh, we’re still doing bullshit then” she replied sarcastically, and Tommy shot her a look.

She slapped the cigs away from him as he reached for them.

“Talk to me” she insisted.

He sighed, pushing back from the bar. She straightened on the stool, keeping her eyes to his.

“You look tired”

“You look as beautiful as ever. While we’re exchanging compliments” he joked.

She didn’t react, not even to roll her eyes. After a few seconds she pushed up, climbing onto the bar.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Tommy questioned, stepping a few paces back.

She swung her legs over, scooting to the edge to sit right in front of him.

“Close your eyes”

He kept his blank face as she clasped in face in both hands, thumbs trailing over his cheekbones.

“Close your eyes” she leaned in and whispered. After a sigh he relented, giving her a quirked brow so she knew he thought this was silly.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“The Garrison” he answered, hearing her light sigh.

“Where do you want to be?” she prodded again.

“On the other side of the bar”

He heard her sigh heavier this time and she dropped her hands. He opened his, licking his lips, stepping forward and planting a hand on either side of her hips.

“You were more fun when there were corpses in proximity, and that’s saying something, Mr Shelby”

She tilted her head to him, eyes trailing to his when she realised how close they were.

“Where do you want to be?” he whispered and his breath fanned over her face.

She took a breath, leaning back on her palms. She paused, flicking her shoe onto her toes and back. A smirk came to her face before she dropped it and leant forward again, running her hands onto his shoulders and tucking her fingers under the edge of his waistcoat.

“The storage room in Tent 9”

She bit her lip, leg still swinging. He kept his face blank but she could see the flicker of his eyes and she laughed. She broke out her best teasing tone.

“That was you, right? Only I-“

She kept laughing against his lips as he surged forward, pulling her hips off the edge of the bar and dropping her to the ground.

“Made a habit of it, did you?” he joked, and she hummed.

“Oh, only with the really pretty ones” she crinkled her nose as she smiled at him.

“Ah”

She smiled up at him, hand trailing down the side of his face.

“How have you been sleeping, Tommy?” she asked again, jaw slackening as she slipped back into the more serious tone she often employed on him.

“I haven’t”

She nodded, thumb pressing into the hollow of his cheek.

“Bed, come on. We’re going nowhere else tonight” she insisted.


End file.
